http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/The-Rising-Tide/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from The Rising Tide en-us Sat, 19 Dec 2009 06:59:05 +0000 Sat, 19 Dec 2009 06:59:05 +0000 Go Shenzhen. Go. What do I write about this place First off a hair cut is never just a hair cut. This place is all about nuance. Go. Go get a hair cut. This is capitalism. Oh my god Just go. Shenzhen City of Angels. End of all quarrels. Go. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Guangdong/Shenzhen/blog-84391.html We are wrapping things up in GZ as we've done with every city we've visited and that means inviting all those that we've met in GZ up to our rooms for drinks and then for some time out on the town. Guangzhou is a chaotic urban center with 14 million people and yesterday we had our driver take us through these back alley streets that are about 20 feet wide with makeshift shops lining both sides http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Guangdong/Guangzhou/blog-83856.html Today is our last day in GZ. We have one interview scheduled at Vitamin Creative Space with Xu Tan a controversial filmmaker and photographer who had some difficulties with the Gov't because his films focus on outsiders and the disenfranchised in China. His verite films feature sex workers drug addicts and one deemed most inappropriate by Party members featured several explicit acts from GZ http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Guangdong/Guangzhou/blog-83779.html Today Monday August 21st we flew south from Shanghai to Guang Zhou to what is called the wild wild south. During the five days in Shanghai we interviewed two important figures in the Shanghai art scene Victoria Lu of Shanghai MOCA and Larenz Helbling of ShanghArt Gallery. Both were excited that an American documentary filmmaker was in China to record the next wave of Chinese artists that a http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Guangdong/Guangzhou/blog-83414.html Noah an American filmmaker who lives here in Beijing advised us last week not to shoot Tian'an Men Square with a digital camera and never ever take a tripod. Well today Wednesday August 16th after buying several small red People's Republic of China flags the three of us Christy my DP and Ren our Williamseducated translator walked onto the Square and shot the dynasty gate with Mao's http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Beijing/blog-82326.html Yesterday Saturday I interviewed Meg Maggio the founder of the Courtyard Gallery in Beijing. She has been living here since 1988 and she's an incredible resource. She speaks flawless Chinese. Today I am interviewing Wang Qingsong and Zhu Ming two of my personal favorites and Meg has arranged for two more interviews on Monday one with Liu Zheng and Ai Wei Wei. Zheng has an incredible boo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Beijing/blog-81585.html Those of you in the LA area should head up to The Santa Barbara Museum of Art to see Between Past and Future New Photography and Video from China the new exhibit featuring several of the artists I'll be interviewing including Yang Fudong Cao Fei Wang Qingsong and Yang Yong. It's a great survey of the art explosion that has been taking place in the Middle Kingdom over the last 10 years. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Beijing/blog-80855.html THE RISING TIDE A film by Robert Adanto China. The scene of the greatest economic social and political metamorphosis of our time. This hybridnation that blends Leninist authoritarianism with a market economy struggles to secure resources and quell growing social unrest despite averaging 9 growth over the last 20 years. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Guangdong/Guangzhou/blog-79297.html